


Protective Protocol

by love_in_the_stars



Category: Avengers Assemble (Cartoon)
Genre: Coda to first 2 episodes, Gen, M/M, Missing Scene, Oblivious!Tony, Protective!Steve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-13
Updated: 2013-07-13
Packaged: 2017-12-19 07:41:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/881220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/love_in_the_stars/pseuds/love_in_the_stars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Says the guy responsible for Tony getting hurt!”</p>
<p>Those words kept repeating in his head because as much as they were said out of false anger, they still had a shard of truth to them, didn’t they?<br/>-<br/>Steve can't sleep after the events of the first two episodes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Protective Protocol

**Author's Note:**

> Written because I love having a new universe to play in and wanted to get my feet wet. Please forgive the horrible titling and again this contains spoilers for the new cartoon Marvel's Avengers Assemble, so if you haven't seen it yet(why?) avoid this if you don't want to be spoiled.

It was late and Steve was legitimately exhausted after the last two days of excitement. While he was glad to have the team back together, the circumstances around the reunion he could have gone without. Body swapping with the Red Skull was not an experience he would like to repeat but even more then that, Steve hated to think about what had almost happened to Iron Man. He and Tony didn’t always see eye to eye but he still considered the other man a close friend. They hadn’t been friends for very long but fighting together had a tendency to help bonds between people form quicker and stronger. It was obvious in how well the team worked together, when they weren’t too busy fighting amongst themselves, anyway. Though, most of that stemmed from Thor and Hulk’s quick tempers and Clint’s fast mouth. Natasha’s occasional condescension and Tony’s tendency toward combining a sharp tongue with his sarcastic wit usually didn’t help either.

But that was fine, all teams have their rough patches. It takes time to form a fully cohesive unit, Steve understood that much. And he wasn’t worried about the team as a whole. It wasn’t the ability of the Avengers that was keeping Steve up this night. No, tonight it was his own imagination and Falcon’s mind controlled words preventing him from getting any true rest.

Unlike the others, Steve remembered everything he said and did when being controlled, probably owed to the serum. Which meant he remembered Falcon’s come back when he accused the rookie of not being fit for the Avengers.

“Says the guy responsible for Tony getting hurt!”

Those words kept repeating in his head because as much as they were said out of false anger, they still had a shard of truth to them, didn’t they? Tony went through a lot in effort to save him and the only thing he managed to do in return was get the genius in even greater danger. All for his sake. After rescuing him and denying the Skull his body, the manic had then gone after what he had seen as the next best thing, namely, Tony’s armor and arc reactor.

God, Steve had been so scared that they were going to lose him, that he would be left to hold Tony as he died, completely helpless. And the scariest part of it was the total and sincere faith Tony had in him to save him. Even as he grew ever weaker, Tony had kept the light jokes and bright words going, as if he had no doubt that everything would be okay. Even now, Steve didn’t know what to do with that kind of faith, he hadn’t done anything to deserve it.

Steve blew out a sigh and sat up, sick of staring at the ceiling while his thoughts circled morbidly. It was obscenely early in the morning but he knew the Tower would be quiet and he could escape to the gym for a while, giving his body something to do might help stop his unsettled musings. Given that his sleepwear, a simple t-shirt and sweats, was already suitable for exercise he made no effort towards changing and just headed out, the door to his room swishing closed with barely a sound.

The gym was a few floors down but the Stark elevators made the trip in only moments and before he could get any further trapped in his mind, Steve was at work, throwing punches and kicks at interactive training holograms. After that, it was easy to lose himself in the familiar movements and for the longest time he did just that.

Eventually though, some sense told him that something had changed and he stopped, absently wiping at the sweat on his face as he looked around and found his gaze caught on the man standing a short distance away, an amused look on his face.

“Ah, Tony.” Steve coughed as if to clear his throat and grinned bashfully, “Did I wake you?”

“Can’t wake me when I’m not sleeping, Cap.” Tony said dismissively, “It’s fine. I was just curious as to what had you up and at ‘em so early.”

“Nothing really, just couldn’t sleep.”

Tony nodded and hummed thoughtfully, staring at him with an unusually indecipherable look. “Well, I was just going to take a break from the lab, care to join me?”

Steve thought to decline, not wanting to intrude, but he’d already relaxed more in the last few minutes of conversation with Tony then he had after hours of exercise. “Yeah, sure.”

“Great!” The genius beamed and gestured for Steve to follow him, words already flying as his mind raced and Steve just obeyed, listening to the sound of Tony’s ever enthusiastic voice.

A few minutes later, Steve was grinning as the other man told him about a ridiculous lab mishap with one hand flinging through the air and the other gracefully holding a short glass of alcohol aloft. While he didn’t exactly understand most of what Tony was going on about, Steve was smart but Tony was on a whole different level and usually forgot to tone it down just a bit, he didn’t mind that. He just liked watching and listening to Tony talk. The other always got excited and passionate when he was talking about something he clearly enjoyed or loved. And, well, Steve just liked to see Tony acting genuine at all.

To think, he could have lost this.

Just as he had that sobering thought, Steve followed it with an equally determined one, that he wouldn’t stand to lose Tony. If Tony had the faith in Steve to keep him safe then Steve was just going to have to stand to that faith and protect him when he needed it. He would make sure Tony never had cause to stop believing in him.

“Steve? Hey, are you alright? You got that serious Captain face all of a sudden.”

Tony’s voice drew him out of his thoughts again and Steve looked at him, taking in the worried eyes and slightly slanted smile. He returned the uncertain smile with one of his own and watched it grow wider.

“I’m okay, Tony, I promise. In fact, I’m feeling like I could use some rest. You look like you could too.”

Surprise flashed over Tony’s face for a moment before disappearing with sly amusement taking its place. “Why, Captain, are you saying I look anything other than perfect right now?”

“I’m just saying you look tired, Stark. How about trying to get a few hours of sleep soon?” Steve suited words to action by getting up and gesturing for Tony to put away his glass. “I’m heading to bed myself but I’ll see you in the morning?”

Tony blinked but followed Steve upright and paused for a moment, staring into his glass. With a slightly exaggerated put upon sigh, he set the alcohol aside and turned to give Steve a surprisingly bright smile. “Yeah, I’ll see you in the morning, Steve.”

Steve gave him a smile back and walked out chuckling, the other’s white toothed grin following him back to his room, where he slept deeply and undisturbed until the sun broke over the horizon.

And if he felt pleased with himself when he was halfway through his morning paper and coffee combo and Tony walked into the kitchen with serious bedhead to beeline for the coffee maker, well, that was no one’s business but his own.


End file.
